


Witching Hour

by civilsociety



Category: The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: F/M, Mystery, Romance, Spooky
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-26 01:21:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20035513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/civilsociety/pseuds/civilsociety
Summary: A mystery man with a secret behind his eyes seems appealing till the mystery becomes a waking nightmare and the only relief can be found in the arms of another.





	Witching Hour

**Author's Note:**

> Hear me out, I've been reading to many old mystery/romances novels and have no idea where this'll lead but it'll be a mighty fun time along the way.

"Can I buy you another one?" asked a deep voice to Clary's right. 

She looked up from the bright screen of her laptop to see a tall, fair haired man grinning over her, exposing a sharp row of glistening white teeth. She felt her cheeks begin to flare up and she immediately hunched over in embarrassment, because a very, very attractive man was currently paying very, very close attention to her. She looked down at her chipped mug to see that she had unconsciously finished her hot chocolate while she had been writing. 

"Uh, yeah I wouldn't say no to that." She stammered out, dropping her hand abruptly on the table as she realized she'd been twirling her hair around her finger in a nervous fidget.

The man beamed down at her and straightened his back, swiftly making his way over to the counter. Clary looked down at herself and quickly smoothed down her sweater and checked to make sure that she didn't have anything in her teeth. Glancing over at the counter where he stood she admired his frame and began thinking about how it would look in a variety of situations. She blushed again when she saw him turn around and catch her in her daze, carrying two mugs back to where she sat.

He slid onto the worn, deep red stool across the table from her, and she found herself getting distracted by the colour of his eyes. They were such a light blue that she was sure in some lights they would look almost transparent. His face was all sharp angles to an almost unnatural degree and she wondered faintly if her hand would hurt if she pressed it to his cheek for too long. He gave her a look as if he knew exactly what thoughts were running through her mind and cocked his head to the side.

"So what's your name gorgeous?" He began.

She looked down at her hands and looked back up again, overwhelmed by the intensity of his gaze.

"Clary Fray." She replied, her cheek burning as he brushed his hand against it, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Can I take you somewhere nicer Clary Fray?"

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
*Six months later*

Clary sat nervously in front of her mirror as she shimmied into her gown. It felt almost like water as it slid over her skin. The dark blue material glistened in the light and she adjusted the fabric to lay properly on her frame. At least a dozen pins held her hair up as it wouldn't stay put after her recent haircut. Sebastian liked it that way, neat and short and most often pined back into a smooth bun. She finished getting ready, touching up her crimson lipstick and slipped on her heels, grabbing her keys and making her way out her apartment and down the stairs to where a low black limo was waiting for her. The driver, a well kept man who looked to be in his early sixties with dark peppered hair, stood ready to pull the door open for her as soon as she stepped out of the building. Her life had drastically changed in the past couple months. She went from busing almost everywhere and penny pinching wherever physically possible, to eating at the finest restaurants in all of New York and having a private driver take her everywhere she had to go. Sebastian had provided her with everything she'd ever wanted and more and had moved to having gifts show up at her door step when she had refused to take them from him in person. 

The limo pulled up to a swanky restaurant that Clary would have never dreamed of setting foot in a few months back unless it was as a server. The outside was a white painted brick with vines artfully pinned up the wall, leading all the way up to the dark tin roof. The door of the car opened to her right and she was hit with a burst of cool air in the late autumn evening. She quickly stepped down onto the pavement and thanked the driver, hurrying over to the front entrance where a man was waiting to greet her and open the door for her. She smiled at him quickly and made her way in.

As she scanned her eyes around the room nervously hoping to find Sebastian seated somewhere nearby, a pretty hostess approached her and she was struck with the thought that she would love to draw her as some kind of mythical creature. The way the hostess's lashes hooded her deep green eyes reminded Clary of the old painted books her mom used to have containing mermaids with the kind of expression that beckoned sailors to follow them down to the deep dark depths. 

The woman took her name and asked her to follow her further into the restaurant and up an old creaking staircase in the back. As Clary made it up the last worn wooden step, the full upstairs room came into view. Hundreds of candles glittered around the space like fireflies and the overhead lights had been dimmed, creating a warm, comforting atmosphere. The room was completely void of people and only one table was dressed, elaborately set up with roses and baby's breath, and a bottle of champagne chilling inside a bucket of ice. 

"Surprise." Came a deep voice from behind her and Clary threw a hand over her heart in surprise. She whipped around to see Sebastian, dressed to the nines in a dark grey button up and black slacks. A thin silver chain glinted against his pale throat and his hair was slicked back from his forehead and neatly gelled. In the dim light, the sharpness of his features were accentuated, and she couldn't help but think that in the moment he resembled something like a Tim Burton character. His eyes scanned her up and down and her stomach knotted slightly in anticipation and nerves.

"You look good enough to eat standing there, you're tempting me to skip dinner altogether." He grinned at her and she smiled back meekly. 

"How did you manage get this whole floor reserved for just us? The bottom is full!" She exclaimed, hoping to get her mind off of the nerves rattling the back of her mind. He just winked back at her and put his cool hand on her lower back, guiding her to a seat at the table. He pulled out her chair and settled her down into it, tucking her in and taking his place across the table.

"What are you thinking?" He asked her, leaning over the table. 

"Just about how hungry I am." She lied, laughing slightly to at least convince herself that she was totally at ease. She couldn't erase the nagging feeling in the back of her mind that something was up. 

"I already ordered I hope that's okay?" He looked up at her through his long blond lashes. He'd taken the liberty of ordering for her every time they went out. And sending her clothes to wear on their dates. And taking her to get a makeover that he had guided the shop girls through, giving them detailed instructions on how he wanted her to look. She supposed it was nice to find a guy that took charge and knew what he wanted. At the very least, he was the one paying for it all. 

She smiled back at him and began some idle chatter about her day at work at the bookstore and about a guy who had tried to convince her that the world was going to end and that the answer to saving it was hidden in the Harry Potter books, and that he was the only one who could decode it. Sebastian nodded along politely, laughing at the appropriate times and complementing her for not branding the man an absolute lunatic and calling a doctor. 

Two waiters came up the stairs shortly after and brought them entrees and soon after, their food. Clary's mouth watered at the sight of the decadent trays placed around the table and she felt a slight knot of regret for not wearing a looser fitting dress. When it came time for desert, she was delighted to see one of those fancy treats with ice cream hidden under a chocolate dome. She cracked open the top and gasped slightly in surprise at what she saw in front of her. Tucked into the middle of a strawberry delicately placed in the middle of the dessert was a glittering emerald ring that almost looked as if it were glowing gently. It was cut in a rectangle shape and was close to the size of an olive. Her first thought after how beautiful it was, was that it must have cost him a fortune. When she looked up she saw Sebastian on one knee, his face level with hers. 

"It matches the exact colour of your eyes. I wanted to get you a traditional diamond but when I saw it I couldn't keep my eyes off of it. Do you like it?" He asked her, looking up hopefully.

The strings of her heart pulled and she couldn't help but think that this was the only time she had ever seen him look anything close to nervous. He always looked so composed and sure of himself. She nodded eagerly at him.

"As much as I love calling you Clary Fray, I like the sound of Clary Verlac better. Will you marry me?"

Clary beamed at him over a small voice of doubt in the very back of her mind and nodded her head, wrapping her arms around his neck. He lifted her up and spun her around in a circle, setting her down on the ground after she protested that she was starting to feel nauseous. 

They finished up dinner and made their way back down the creaking stairs, the glint of the ring catching Clary's eye every few seconds. As they got out of the restaurant he turned to face her and tucked a strand of hair that had fallen out of her bun behind her ear.

"I have to take care of a few things, I'll come pick you up in the morning okay? I have another surprise for you." 

"Okay." She replied and he kissed her on the forehead, nodding his head at her driver to open the door for her. As Sebastian began to walk away, she felt her stomach tighten in nerves and she wondered if it had dropped 10 degrees outside, or if it was just her.


End file.
